CHARLEVOIX - Although all deadlines have now passed for candidates to add or remove their names from the ballots for the upcoming May 7 Charlevoix City Council recall election, qualified candidates can still run in the election as a write-in candidate. Charlevoix City Clerk Carol Ochs said in order for votes for write-in candidates to count in the election, the person must have filed the proper paperwork to be considered as a write-in candidate with city hall by April 26. Ochs said any write-in votes cast for people who have not filed to run as a write-in candidate by that date will not be counted in the election.

ATLANTA - Montmorency County Sheriff incumbent Douglas Baum fended off Republican challenger Robert VanSinger in Tuesday's primary, 1158-346. Baum, appointed to office in August 2005, will be unopposed in November's general election unless someone files as a write-in candidate. Subscribe to the Herald Times

BEAVER ISLAND - In what may be the strangest twist of the local races this election day, Republican Pamela J. O'Brien lost 119 to 104 to write-in candidate Jean Palmer who garnered 53.36 percent of the vote. Palmer and O'Brien began their battle for the seat during the primary when they came to deadlock with an 86 to 86 tie last August. Under Michigan law, ties must be broken by casting lots. So, on Aug. 14, two paper ballots were placed in a basket and drawn at the Charlevoix County Clerk's office.

PETOSKEY -- Retired local teacher and coach Ralph Tramontini won election to the Petoskey Board of Education for a partial term Tuesday, prevailing over current board member and write-in candidate Kathy Reed. The unofficial vote tally showed Tramontini -- the sole candidate listed on the ballot for the board position -- receiving 5,098 votes, or 85 percent of those cast. Some 887 voters, or 14 percent, cast a ballot for a write-in candidate. Tramontini, 66, was elected to fill an unexpired board term running through mid-2013.

EAST JORDAN - Three challengers unseated two incumbents in Tuesday's East Jordan City Commission election. The top three vote-getters Tuesday were Jane Booze with 291, Russell Peck with 246 and Thomas "Tinker" Breakey with 245. Following the three winners were Carron Rogers with 148, current mayor Mark Postma with 114, incumbent Lee Symonds with 106 and write-in candidate Becky Rowbotham with 18. Of the city's 1,576 voters, 410 (26...

Hudson Township officials are still hoping someone will come forward to run as a write-in candidate for the office of treasurer. To be eligible, a declaration of intent must be submitted to the township clerk's office by 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. Sam Aeschliman originally submitted himself as a candidate, but later withdrew his name from the race. However, the withdrawal came too late to remove his name from the official ballot. Anyone interested in running a write-in campaign for the position should contact township supervisor Frank Wasylewski by phone at (231)

Barring the emergence of a write-in candidate, two current Petoskey school board members will have a clear path to additional terms in the Monday, July 5, school election. Two board seats with three-year terms are up for election this summer. Current members Tina DeMoore and Mark Spencer are unopposed on the ballot. Polls will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday at the Spitler Administration Building, 1130 Howard St. DeMoore, a local attorney and mediator, is finishing up her second three-year term on the school board.

HARBOR SPRINGS - With the filing deadline approaching in the upcoming weeks, the lack of interest in the commissioner seat has left the district in search of a candidate. The current Emmet County Commissioner Paul Hramiec, who is serving his first term representing the city of Harbor Springs, Little Traverse and part of Bear Creek townships, decided not to seek re-election to the county board. The vacancy now leaves Emmet County District 3 without a candidate to run as a Republican or Democrat.

CHARLEVOIX - With 2013 being an "off year," the Tuesday, Nov. 5, General Election might be ho-hum in many places, but not in Charlevoix. If a rematch of two of the three races in May's city council recall election and a county commissioner running for city clerk wasn't interesting enough, the election got a little more interesting recently when former city clerk Carol Ochs threw her hat into the ring to run as a write-in candidate for her old...

CHARLEVOIX - Although all deadlines have now passed for candidates to add or remove their names from the ballots for the upcoming May 7 Charlevoix City Council recall election, qualified candidates can still run in the election as a write-in candidate. Charlevoix City Clerk Carol Ochs said in order for votes for write-in candidates to count in the election, the person must have filed the proper paperwork to be considered as a write-in candidate with city hall by April 26. Ochs said any write-in votes cast for people who have not filed to run as a write-in candidate by that date will not be counted in the election.

PETOSKEY -- Retired local teacher and coach Ralph Tramontini won election to the Petoskey Board of Education for a partial term Tuesday, prevailing over current board member and write-in candidate Kathy Reed. The unofficial vote tally showed Tramontini -- the sole candidate listed on the ballot for the board position -- receiving 5,098 votes, or 85 percent of those cast. Some 887 voters, or 14 percent, cast a ballot for a write-in candidate. Tramontini, 66, was elected to fill an unexpired board term running through mid-2013.

HARBOR SPRINGS - With the filing deadline approaching in the upcoming weeks, the lack of interest in the commissioner seat has left the district in search of a candidate. The current Emmet County Commissioner Paul Hramiec, who is serving his first term representing the city of Harbor Springs, Little Traverse and part of Bear Creek townships, decided not to seek re-election to the county board. The vacancy now leaves Emmet County District 3 without a candidate to run as a Republican or Democrat.

BOYNE FALLS — A four-way race is on in the village of Boyne Falls for two open seats on the local school board. Incumbents Ann Marie Boettger, 50, and Diane Fiel (not pictured), 52, seek additional four-year terms on the Boyne Falls Public School Board of Education. They are challenged by candidate Maureen Hausler, 47, and write-in candidate Joseph Westbrook, 38. Boettger lives in Charlevoix County’s Hudson Township and served on the board for the last eight years.

CHARLEVOIX -- Incumbent Republican Bob Drebenstedt from Charlevoix County's District 5, and Republican Richard Gillespie from District 6, came out on top in Tuesday's election over the write-in candidates. Republican Jerry Kelts and incumbent Republican Shirley Roloff, decided to run as write-in candidates after losing in the primary elections in August, but when the votes were tallied on Tuesday they came up short again. The write-in votes were the last to be counted at the Charlevoix County Building at nearly midnight on Tuesday.

CHARLEVOIX -- The Charlevoix County District 6 commissioner, Republican Shirley Roloff, who lost the election in August to Republican Richard Gillespie, plans to run as a write-in candidate in the November election. On Aug. 3 when the primary election results were tallied Gillespie came out on top 575 to 445 votes and it appeared Roloff would lose her seat on the board after 14 years in the office, but she wasn't satisfied with that. "I'm not ready to quit. I've got too many things going on for the county right now," Roloff said.

BAGLEY TOWNSHIP — More than 80 people attended a candidate meet-and-greet event, hosted by the Otsego County Republican Party, at Marsh Ridge Resort April 27. Candidates for the 105th District seat in attendance included Dennis Lennox, Tim Boyko, Ken Glasser, Triston Cole and Barry Anderson. Additionally, 1st Congressional District candidate Tom Stillings and Gaylord School Board write-in candidate Scott Chesley also were present. Each candidate had the opportunity to address the audience.

OTSEGO COUNTY — The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in all three of Otsego County’s school districts for voters to select school board members. Gaylord Community Schools (GCS) voters will be asked to approve an 18-mil operating millage renewal proposal while voters in Corwith Township and the Village of Vanderbilt will vote on a three-year 1.5-mil request to raise operational revenue for the Corwith Township-Vanderbilt Fire Dept. • At GCS, three candidates, incumbents Jeff Weiber and Scott Chesley; who is running as a write-in candidate, and challenger Michael Fessler, are running for two four-year terms on the school board.

EAST JORDAN - Three challengers unseated two incumbents in Tuesday's East Jordan City Commission election. The top three vote-getters Tuesday were Jane Booze with 291, Russell Peck with 246 and Thomas "Tinker" Breakey with 245. Following the three winners were Carron Rogers with 148, current mayor Mark Postma with 114, incumbent Lee Symonds with 106 and write-in candidate Becky Rowbotham with 18. Of the city's 1,576 voters, 410 (26...